1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for preparing trimethylolmethane.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Trimethylolmethane trinitrate is a high-energy plasticizer and explosive recently developed by Thiokol Corporation. It is thermally more stable and less sensitive than nitroglycerine and, accordingly, could find use as a replacement for nitroglycerine (and other high-energy plasticizers) in certain formulations. Additionally, it is more energetic than trimethylolethane trinitrate. Still further, it is ultimately less costly than bis-(2-fluoro-2,2-dinitroethoxy) methane. However, there is a problem associated with the preparation of trimethylolmethane trinitrate. The problem is the availability of its precurser--trimethylolmethane.
Trimethylolmethane--the essential material from which the nitrate is prepared--is only available via low yield methods. The most reliable published method is that of Breusch and Oguzer. Their method, reported in Chemishe Berichte, Vol. 88, pp. 1,511-1519 (1955), produces a yield of only 4-17 percent of the desired compound based on the unrecovered amount of the starting compound, diethyl malonate.